MNI US Morning Briefing

     LONDON (MNI) - Across the Atlantic the first release of the day from the US

are Challenger Monthly Layoff Intentions figures at 1230GMT.

     At 1315GMT the ADP Employment Report will be published.

     Canada publish Industrial Product and Raw Material Price Index at 1330GMT

while the US release Weekly Jobless Claims data. The level of initial jobless

claims is expected to fall by 5,000 to 240,000 in the December 30 Christmas week

after holding steady at 245,000 in the previous week. The four-week moving

average rose by 1,750 to 237,750.

     The four-week moving average would rise by 1,000 in the coming week as a

236,000 level in the December 2 week drops out of the calculation, assuming the

MNI forecast is correct and there are no revisions.

     At 1445GMT is the US final Markit Services Index.

     Also at 1445GMT is the US Bloomberg Comfort Index.

     The US release commodity data at 1530GMT, Natural Gas Stocks are due.

     More commodity data at 1600GMT, the DoE Weekly Crude Oil Stocks will be

released, a 4.45mln barrel drawdown is expected with oil near the highest levels

in 3 years.

     At 1830GMT St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard is to

give a presentation on the "U.S. Economy and Monetary Policy" at "Meltzer's

Contributions to Monetary Economics and Public Policy" in Philadelphia, with

audience Q&A.

     Rounding off the day at 2130GMT is the US Fed Weekly Money Supply data.

--MNI London Bureau; +44 203 865 3809; email: kieran.williams@marketnews.com